Land use planning is the term used for a branch of public policy which encompasses various disciplines which seek to order and regulate the use of land in an efficient way. Social policy is the study of the welfare state, and the range of responses to social need. ... Land use is the pattern of construction and activity land is used for. ...

Despite confusing nomenclature, the essential function of planning remains the same whatever term is applied. The Canadian Institute of Planners offers a definition that: "[Land use] planning means the scientific, aesthetic, and orderly disposition of land, resources, facilities and services with a view to securing the physical, economic and social efficiency, health and well-being of urban and rural communities"[1]

Nomenclature

In the English speaking world, the terms land use planning, town and country planning, regional planning, town planning, urban planning, and urban design are often used interchangeably, and will depend on the country in question. The term Anglosphere describes a certain group of English-speaking countries. ...

In Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and New Zealand, the term town planning is common, although regional planning and land use planning are also used.

In the United States, the terms urban planning and regional planning are more commonly used.

Functions of land use planning

At its most basic level land use planning is likely to involve zoning and transport infrastructure planning. In most developed countries, land use planning is an important part of social policy, ensuring that land is used efficiently for the benefit of the wider economy and population as well as to protect the environment.

Land use planning encompasses the following disciplines:

• Architecture
• Environmental planning
• Landscape architecture
• Regional Planning
• Spatial planning
• Sustainable Development
• Transportation Planning
• Urban design
• Urban planning
• Urban Renaissance
• Urban renewal

Architecture, urban design, urban planning, landscape architecture and urban renewal usually address the selection of physical layout, scale of development, aesthetics, costs of alternatives and selection of building materials and landscape species. The Parthenon on top of the Acropolis, Athens, Greece Architecture (from Latin, architectura and ultimately from Greek, αρχιτεκτων, a master builder, from αρχι- chief, leader and τεκτων, builder, carpenter) is the art and science of designing buildings and structures. ... Environmental planning is a relatively new field of study that aims to merge the practice of urban planning with the concerns of environmentalism. ... Central Park, like all parks, is an example of landscape architecture. ... Regional planning is a branch of land use planning and deals with the efficient placement of land use activities, infrastructure and settlement growth across a significantly larger area of land than an individual city or town. ... Spatial planning refers to the methods used by the public sector to influence the distribution of people and activities in spaces of various scales. ... Sustainable development is an umbrella that attempts to bridge the divide between economic growth and environmental protection, while taking into account other issues traditionally associated with development. ... Transportation planning is the field involved with the siting of transportation facilities (generally streets and highways and public transport lines). ... Urban design concerns the arrangement, appearance and functionality of towns and cities. ... Urban planning is concerned with the ordering and design of settlements, from the smallest towns to the worlds largest cities. ... Urban Renaissance is a term used to describe the recent period of repopulation and regeneration of many British cities, including, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, and parts of London after a period of suburbanisation during the mid-20th century. ... Blight often stands side-by-side with new structures during urban renewal efforts. ... Aesthetics (or esthetics) (from the Greek word αισθητική) is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty. ... In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ...

Environmental planning usually impies the use of tools to forecast impacts of development decisions including roadway noise computer models, roadway air dispersion models and urban surface runoff computer models. Roadway noise is the most prevalent form of environmental noise Roadway noise is the collective sound energy emanating from motor vehicles. ... Roadway air dispersion is applied to highway segments Roadway air dispersion modeling is the study of air pollutant transport from a roadway or other linear emitter. ... Runoff flowing into a stormwater drain Surface runoff is water, from rain, snowmelt, or other sources, that flows over the land surface, and is a major component of the water cycle[1][2]. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is also called overland flow. ...

See also

• Context theory
• Environmental impact assessment
• Land Allocation Decision Support System
• Zoning

Context theory Environmental design and planning rest on theories of how new development should relate to its context. ... An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is an assessment of the likely human environmental health impact, risk to ecological health, and changes to natures services that a project may have. ... LADSS or Land Allocation Decision Support System, is an agricultural land use planning tool being developed at The Macaulay Institute. ... A typical zoning map; this one identifies the zones, or development districts, in the city of Ontario, California Zoning is a North American term for a system of land-use regulation. ...

External links

• Combining deliberative and computer-based methods for multi-objective land-use planning, Matthews et al.